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by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852)
Translation by Hermann Kurz (1813 - 1873)

Oft in the stilly night
Language: English 
Our translations:  CAT FRE
Oft in the stilly night,
  Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Fond Memory brings the light
  Of other days around me;
    The smiles, the tears, 
    Of boyhood's years,
  The words of love then spoken;
    The eyes that shone, 
    Now dimmed and gone,
  The cheerful hearts now broken!
Thus in the stilly night,
  Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Sad Memory brings the light
  Of other days around me.

When I remember all
  The friends so linked together
I've seen around me fall,
  Like leaves in wintry weather,
    I feel like one
    Who treads alone
  Some banquet-hall deserted,
    Whose lights are fled, 
    Whose garlands dead,
  And all but he departed!
Thus in the stilly night,
  Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Sad Memory brings the light
  Of other days around me.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with A Library of Poetry and Song: Being Choice Selections from the Best Poets. With an Introduction by William Cullen Bryant, New York, J. B. Ford and Company, 1871, page 227.


Text Authorship:

  • by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "Oft in the stilly night", appears in National Airs, first published 1818

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Robert Grady

This text was added to the website: 2004-06-13
Line count: 28
Word count: 130

Oft in der stillen Nacht
 (Sung text for setting by F. Silcher)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Oft in der stillen Nacht,       
Eh' Schlummer band die Glieder, 
Bringt vor'ger Tage Pracht 
Ein süß' Erinnern wieder. 
Bringt Freud' und Leid 
Der Jugendzeit, 
Da Lieb' zu Lieb' gesprochen; 
Der Augen Tag, 
Der Herzen Schlag, 
Die längst im Tod gebrochen.
So bringt in stiller Nacht, 
Eh' Schlummer band die Glieder, 
Mir vor'ger Tage Pracht 
Ein herb' Erinnern wieder.  

Der Freunde denk' ich da, 
So innig einst gesellet, 
Die ich  gleich Herbstlaub sah'
Vom Tod um mich gefället. 
Mir ist's zu Sinn, 
Als ständ' ich drinn
In öder Festeshalle; 
Die Fackeln verglüh'n, 
Die Kränze verblüh'n, 
Gefloh'n die Andern alle. 
So bringt in stiller Nacht, 
Eh' Schlummer band die Glieder, 
Mir vor'ger Tage Pracht 
Ein herb' Erinnern wieder.

Composition:

    Set to music by (Philipp) Friedrich Silcher (1789 - 1860), "Oft in der stillen Nacht", subtitle: "Schottische Volksmelodie", op. 72 (Chöre und Quartette für Männerstimmen aus dem Nachlass, erstes Heft) no. 3 [ four-part men's chorus a cappella ], from Chöre und Quartette für Männerstimmen aus dem Nachlass, erstes Heft, no. 3, also in Volkslieder gesammelt und für vier Männerstimmen gesetzt, neue Ausgabe, Tübingen: Heinrich Laupp'sche Buchhandlung, 1902, song no. 158, pages 291 - 293

Text Authorship:

  • by Hermann Kurz (1813 - 1873), "Oft in der stillen Nacht", subtitle: "Schottische Melodie"

Based on:

  • a text in English by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "Oft in the stilly night", appears in National Airs, first published 1818
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


Researcher for this page: Melanie Trumbull

This text was added to the website: 2021-02-10
Line count: 28
Word count: 115

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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